An Indian entrepreneur is back home after going through a traveller’s nightmare in Spain that saw his passport, US visa, credit cards, and cash stolen in broad daylight from a cafe.
In a post on X that has garnered a ton of impressions, startup founder Ayush Panchmiya described the incident as the “worst 48 hours of [his] travel life”.
The trouble launched just hours after Panchmiya and his team arrived in Barcelona, following a work trip to the ETHCC event in Cannes. As the group settled into a Starbucks to edit content for clients, Panchmiya stepped out for a quick phone call, leaving his tiny black bag tucked under the table — something he admitted he’d done “a hundred times” before while travelling.
“But this time, those few seconds modifyd everything,” he wrote.
A man sitting nearby allegedly seized the opportunity, grabbing the bag and slipping out. Panchmiya’s teammate gave chase after noticing the theft, but the suspect had already vanished into the city’s busy streets.
The stolen bag contained essential travel documents, including Panchmiya’s passport and US visa, as well as credit cards and “a good chunk” of cash. What followed was a frantic scramble through Barcelona’s bureaucratic maze.
“I ran to the Starbucks staff, begged them to display me the CCTV,” he wrote. “They couldn’t. Said the police had to obtain involved first.”
When he reported the theft to the local police, he was shocked to hear that it could take up to 20 days for authorities to even review CCTV footage. This was time Panchmiya didn’t have, as his flight back to India was scheduled for Monday and it was already Saturday.
With the Indian embassy shut over the weekconclude, the entrepreneur had no choice but to wait in limbo. Come Monday morning, however, the Indian consulate acted swiftly.
“They issued me an emergency certificate (a temporary passport) in just four to five hours,” he shared. “That same evening, I was back on a flight to India.”
Now home, Panchmiya is in the process of reapplying for all his documents. But he stated he shared the experience to offer a warning and guidance.
“This can happen to anyone,” he wrote. “Even if you’re cautious. Even if you’re experienced.”
He also offered practical tips: don’t panic, file a police report immediately, and go in person to your embassy to request an emergency certificate.
Most X applyrs expressed sympathy, while others chimed in with advice. One wrote, “In general, avoid travelling day to day with your passport on you. It’s infinitely safer in your hotel lock box.”
A few others criticised the decision to leave the bag unattconcludeed.
“Just becaapply it’s ‘something you’d done a hundred times’ doesn’t create it smart,” one X applyr commented. “Even in safe countries, never risk your most important documents like that.”
Panchmiya pushed back against the criticism, acknowledging his error while rejecting outright blame.
“Was it a mistake to leave the bag? Yes,” he admitted. “My only real lapse was assuming that being indoors with teammates around would be enough. So no, I wasn’t completely careless but it was a hard lesson in how rapid things can go wrong even when you’re cautious.”
Despite the ordeal, Panchmiya concludeed his post on a note of gratitude by thanking the Indian embassy, and also urged fellow travellers to stay alert.
– Ends
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